Solaris

The Wildest of Dream

Solaris was composed of nine circus tents. Eight of them formed a circle around the grounds, with the largest sitting in the very middle. Gravel paths lead the way to each tent, lit by beautiful golden lanterns that encased dancing purple flame. Calliope music filled the air, alongside the sounds of laughter and chatter from the many guests that had already arrived before Priscilla did. The atmosphere was incredibly calming, so much so that Priscilla found herself wrapped in a feeling of warmth and calmness the moment she began to follow Alice down one of the paths.

"You'll be given a guide while you're here Priscilla. Someone to help show you around the grounds and ensure you have the best experience during your stay," Alice explained as they walked. "I'm going to place you with Cherry, I believe the two of you will get along nicely."

"Okay," Priscilla said with a nod, relieved to not be left to navigate Solaris on her own. Alice gave her a warm smile and led her towards one of the tents, where a woman stood waiting for them just before the entrance. She was tall, with amber-colored skin and long burgundy hair styled into deep curls. She was dressed in a rose-colored gown, its bodice, and sleeves made of lace, while the skirt looked to be entirely made of real rose petals.

"Hello, you must be Priscilla," the woman greeted with a grin. My name is Cherry. It's a pleasure to meet you," she said, extending her hand out to Priscilla.

"Hello Cherry, it's nice to meet you as well," Priscilla said softly, shaking her hand with a small smile.

"I'll leave you two to it. I will be seeing you later tonight Priscilla, enjoy your time," Alice said. She gave a small bow before leaving the two, heading back to the carousel. Priscilla watched her go before turning back to Cherry.

"So, um...what now?" She asked softly. Cherry chuckled softly.

"Well, we have just under two hours before we need to head to The Grand Isle for the performance scheduled for tonight. So I thought we could explore a few Isles?" She offered. "Each Isle is dedicated to a different thing. For example, this one here is The Isle of Delight. Think of it like a games tent you might find at a usual circus or carnival," She explained as she gestured to the tent behind them.

"I don't exactly have money for carnival games," Priscilla admitted with a frown. "I don't have the money for anything to be honest..."

"Everything is free here darling, we wouldn't make you pay for anything during your time here," Cherry smiled.

"Huh," Priscilla hummed softly before looking at the large tent behind them. "Can we go inside then?" She asked.

"Of course," Cherry said with a nod as she led Priscilla to the tent's entrance. Priscilla followed, her curiosity feeding a sense of eagerness building within her as she grew closer to discovering what lay beyond the entryway. As they finally stepped inside, a small gasp escaped her lips. The interior of the tent was nearly ten times the size of the exterior of it had been. Its walls seemed to stretch on forever, with most of the space within taken up by neat rows of colorful booths dedicated to carnival games. Meanwhile, little paper-folded cranes and animals flew in the air, dancing around the other guests and booths.

"Cool, right? Cherry asked with a grin.

"So freaking cool," Priscilla agreed with a nod as they walked further into the tent. It reminded her of the street carnivals her mother used to take her to years ago. They would spend hours wandering up and down the rows of booths, playing cheesy carni games, and eating all the sweet treats they could stomach. Priscilla only wished her mother was there now to experience it all.

"What do you want to play?" Cherry asked as the pair wandered down one of the aisles of booths. Priscilla took a glance at each one, trying to find one of the ones she might have played with her mother all those years ago. Finally, her eyes fell upon a balloon dart booth, and she couldn't help but grin.